Ferropolis 2015: German strongman event held in former mine

Over 2,000 men and women came to an abandoned mine known as Ferropolis in Germany on the night of 15 August, to compete in an overnight strongman race. Overnight, the competitors had to overcome over 30 obstacles, including high hurdles, mud holes and pools of foam, as they ran the distance of a half marathon.

Many competitors chose to wear costumes for the fun-filled, yet challenging event. Although runners from 19 different countries took part, there was home success as Germans won both the men's and women's events. Thomas Wittwer won the men's event, almost a minute ahead of his nearest rival. He said the race had been challenging, especially as it took place at night.

"I am happy of course," said Wittwer. "It doesn't matter if you run at night or daytime. The result was great, I didn't expect it. The biggest challenge was the lack of light. I have been using a torch, without it it would have been much harder."